Seasons of the Soul Therapeutic Massage

I’m not much of a spa gal. I mean, I’d love to have chances for more massages and pedicures and manicures and facials and such, but I’ve always been more the girl who sometimes forgets to shower and change clothes and who probably has muddy cleats in the corner. My toenail polish is perpetually chipped and I don’t get my hair cut as frequently as you’re “supposed to.” I never have fingernails beyond the end of my fingertips and they are never polished. My massages, when I convince the Huzz to give me them, are on the floor in front of a baseball game with a tumbler of wine that will probably spill on my lap. In short, I’m not very put together, especially in harsh lighting.

But a massage does not need to be at an expensive spa, and there can be tremendous results from therapeutic massage.

Ever since my second car accident when I sprained my back, I’ve had back problems. I’ve seen numerous chiropractors and had numerous massages (ahh) that have helped greatly in some cases, and not at all in others, but I still once in awhile have back pain that makes me want to bite something really hard, and/or hook myself up to a morphine IV.

A couple months ago I got a pamphlet in the mail for Seasonsof the Soul—a massage therapist who has her new business set up close to my house. Since I want expand the local aspect of my blog, I contacted her. We ended up meeting and got along well. Marianne was amazed at the way my body healed so well after all my broken bones. When I stop to think about, I am too. I mean, I've broken eleven bones, had two bone grafts from my hip to my wrist and hip to my leg, worn a bone growth stimulator and was told I'd probably have to have bones in my ankle fused and not run again...but I do run. I'm a patchwork quilt that somehow still provides a good snuggle.

Marianne said she read and really enjoyed my blog, and we talked for a long time. I ended up tutoring her daughter who is getting ready to take the SAT and she said she wanted to give me a free massage (twist my arm, right?) as well as become a blog sponsor here.

Her office is so close to my house that any professional baseball player could throw a ball to her building from my building when the wind is right and if the building in between weren’t there. So getting there is a piece of cake—I don’t have to rely on anyone else. Just leave the Littles with the Huzz and walk over to be surrounded in relaxation for an hour.

Marianne uses heated stones in her massages, which I had never experienced before—they were smooth and warm and calming—absolutely nothing to not like about them. The lovely peaceful, aromatic ambiance of the room made me want to move in slow motion and whisper for the rest of forever. She focused on the painful areas of my back that have bothered me for years. After my hour of bliss, when I completely forgot to worry about what to make for dinner, she recommended some yoga poses that would help some of my stiffness. I floated home and it’s all kind of fuzzy now, but I think we might have ordered pizza for dinner? Or maybe the boys made themselves sandwiches while I hummed in a corner?

Since the massage I’ve been stretching every morning and have noticed that my back feels looser in general. I’m thinking I’ll have to wander over to Seasons of the Soul "accidentally" next time it hurts.

Marianne’s business is off to a great start and she's giving first time customers half off one of her massages! This is remarkably generous and the experience is something I highly recommend for anyone local—especially to relieve back pain. It’s easy to schedule a massage online with her. It’s a great gift—for yourself or a friend, or for a silly mom-writer whose blog you read…

Visit her site and schedule a half-off massage!